Rams Using Dan Campbell's Message to Vikings' Kevin O'Connell As Playoff Motivation

After the Detroit Lions' Week 18 win over the Minnesota Vikings, Lions head coach Dan Campbell was seen saying "I'll see you in two weeks" to Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell, hinting at a divisional round rematch between the NFC North rivals.

The Los Angeles Rams, who will face the Vikings on Monday for wildcard weekend, have taken that message personally. Ahead of their game, the Rams have put up a printed screen shot of Campbell's message to O'Connell, reminding their players that they are getting overlooked.

There’s a printed screen shot in the Rams locker room above a door of Dan Campbell telling Kevin O’Connell “I’ll see you in two weeks”
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) January 10, 2025

The Lions and the Vikings finished with the two of the best records in the NFC, but the 10-7 Rams still pose a strong challenge to the 14-3 Vikings. The Rams were just one of two teams to defeat the Vikings this season (along with the Lions, who did so twice), beating Minnesota 30-20 in October. A young Rams defense held Minnesota to just six points after the first quarter, and Matthew Stafford threw four touchdown passes against Brian Flores's normally stout defensive scheme.

If the Rams advance past the Vikings, they know they can compete with the No. 1 seeded Lions in a potential playoff matchup. The Rams narrowly lost to the Lions both during the playoffs last January and at the beginning of the 2024 season, with the Lions surviving for a Week 1 overtime win.

Along with the motivation of Campbell's message to O'Connell, the Rams will be looking to represent their city with extra pride as fires burn across Los Angeles County, which resulted in the game moving to Glendale, Ariz. Rams coaches will be wearing 'LAFD' shirts and hats in support of the city's fire department, and the team has brought back their "LA Together" platform, which they utilized after the fires of 2018. After fires affected the team and county in 2018, the Rams went on to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in an iconic 54-51 Monday Night Football matchup while honoring their city.

The Lions and Vikings both had better regular seasons than the Rams, but Los Angeles can pose true threats to each contender, especially with the right motivation.